


Starburn

by Eggling



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-23 09:50:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17681171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggling/pseuds/Eggling
Summary: “Tonight was meant to bespecial."“I’m on another planet, watchin’ two stars crash into each other, with the time-travelling alien I’m a wee bit in love with. I dinnae see how that’snotspecial.”The Doctor and Jamie watch a cosmic event - from inside a prison cell.





	Starburn

Leaning out the window, Jamie looked down dubiously at the dark, gaping maw of the scar running through the landscape below them. The distant sound of water thundering through the canyon echoed up towards him, a little muffled by the ramshackle houses clinging to the wind-smoothed walls. Stretching out a little further, he realised that their cell was perched amongst the outermost buildings of a covered bridge spanning the gap, and he swallowed thickly, retreating back inside, the floor beneath his feet suddenly feeling dangerously thin. Instead, he cast his eyes up to the rolling hills that surrounded the canyon. The grounds of the country estates that capped each one were brimming with people, all looking towards the sky, watching as the edges of the two great spheres hanging above them threatened to overlap. “Hey, it’s started.”

“Mm?” The Doctor looked up briefly from where he sat on the bed. He looked strangely distant, as if his mind was far from their rickety cell. “Oh. I do hope Ben and Polly managed to get their tickets in the end.”

“Don’t ye want tae watch it?” Leaving the window, Jamie went to sit beside the Doctor, nudging his side encouragingly. “I thought ye were excited tae see it.”

“Oh, I was. Still, can’t be helped.” The mournful expression on the Doctor’s face made his unworried words seem empty. “It was hardly our fault that we got in the way of the governor’s sky-barge.”

“What’s goin’ on up there, anyway? Ye never explained.”

“It’s a collision of two stars,” the Doctor said, a touch of enthusiasm creeping back into his voice. “The first one to be seen up close in this galactic quadrant. When they calculated the size of the explosion, the people of this planet managed to freeze the stars long enough to build a protective barrier around the planet. Ah – and to sell as many overpriced tickets to the event as they could, of course.”

Jamie nodded towards the window. “They dinnae look like the sort of people who could stop two stars from crashin’ into each other. Doesnae feel like much after my time out there.”

“Well, that’s true of most of them. It was the rich and powerful who had the resources to freeze the stars, and to develop the barrier.” The Doctor gave a wry smile. “And to sell the tickets. But he technology was unstable, and freezing the stars caused a massive build-up of potential energy. That’s what’s up there now, you see-” Getting up, he crossed to the window, staring up at the sky. “All that energy, released and turned to light.”

Joining him, Jamie watched the great arcs of white light soar back and forth. Each left a trail in its wake, separating out into red and yellow and green and blue before melding into the deep purple of the sky. The Doctor had shown him fireworks, but this was infinitely more impressive, a light-show on a scale that seemed barely imaginable. Even as he marvelled at the sight, one of the great, bloated disks dipped through the lights, its dusky red light bathing the city around them in an eerie glow. “How many people are watchin’ it?”

“Billions,” the Doctor said, his voice soft with awe. “Every inhabited planet in this system is full of people watching the stars collide. This planet is just the furthest from their sun, and the closest to the event.”

The rapture on his face was tinged with wistfulness, and Jamie took his hand tentatively. “I’m sorry we ended up here. I know how much ye wanted tae see this.”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter.” The Doctor waved his free hand, seeming rather flustered. “We can come back tomorrow. Or next week. Or the week after that. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

“That sounds like the sort of thing you’d say wasnae possible,” Jamie said, frowning at him. “Bein’ in the same place twice, an’ all that.”

“Well – well, yes, you’re quite right.” The Doctor hung his head. His next words were barely audible, little more than a murmur. “And it wouldn’t be a first date, either.”

Jamie snorted, grinning at him, but he found that the Doctor was looking back at him with complete sincerity. Spluttering wordlessly for a moment, he struggled to find the right words. “You’re not serious,” he managed at last. “Are ye?”

“Well...” The Doctor was blushing a funny orange colour. “Well, we did agree that we were serious about -” He squeezed Jamie’s hand. “This.”

“Aye, but…” Jamie shook his head. “I didnae really think you’d want tae do that.”

“Do what?’ The Doctor sounded puzzled.

Jamie’s own cheeks were burning now. “ _Datin_ ’,” he said. “Ye know – first dates, an’ everything. _Courting_ me,” he added quietly.

To his amazement, the Doctor began to laugh. “Well, that’s certainly one way of putting it,” he said, beaming up at Jamie. “Oh – oh, dear.” Seeing that Jamie's own cheeks were reddening, he patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t look like that, Jamie. I think it’s a perfectly charming idea.”

“Aye, well. That’s good, then.” Clearing his throat, Jamie looked carefully back up at the sky. “Polly put ye onto this, though, didn’t she?”

“Well – she may have _suggested_ a few things – but it was hardly as if I didn’t want to...” The Doctor cleared his throat. “Yes,” he admitted at last, sounding sheepish. “It was Polly’s idea. But I picked the place. Polly wanted me to just take you out for dinner, but I thought that seemed a little - ah - simplistic.”

“Thought so.” Laughing, Jamie settled his head against the Doctor’s shoulder. “Of course ye think a couple of stars burnin’ up is romantic.”

“Don't you?”

“Never said I didn't.” A particularly impressive arc shot across the sky, and Jamie smiled at the faint cheer from the distant crowds. “Ye know, the view’s no’ so bad from here.”

“Mm. I wonder if Ben and Polly managed to find a good place.”

“Aye.” Jamie elbowed the Doctor’s side gently. “Hey, we didnae even have to pay for any tickets.”

A smile was creeping onto the Doctor’s face again, the last traces of disappointment slowly starting to recede from his eyes. “No, we didn’t, did we?”

“An’ it’s quieter in here than up on the cliffs. Reckon we got a good spot after all.” Taking the Doctor’s hand again, he squeezed it tentatively. “I’m happy enough just watchin’ it with you, ye know. It’s no’ as if I’m not used to us endin’ up in trouble by now.”

“Tonight was meant to be _special_ ,” the Doctor complained.

Jamie snorted. “I’m on another planet, watchin’ two stars crash into each other, with the time-travelling alien I’m a wee bit in love with.” He turned his head to kiss the Doctor’s cheek. “I dinnae see how that’s _not_ special.”

“Oh.”

“Mm.”

“Well, I suppose that’s alright then.” The Doctor frowned down at him. “Are you only a wee bit in love with me?”

“Alright. Much more than a wee bit in love, then.” Focusing on the sky again, Jamie studied the flashes of lilac that were splashing across the horizon. The two stars were growing closer, and the town below them was lit up as if it were day. “What’s happenin’ now?”

“Oh!” The Doctor’s eyes were bright with excitement again. “I do believe we’re reaching the second phase. You see, the stars are two different types, so they’ve been producing different materials...”

Nestling closer against the Doctor’s side as he rambled, Jamie tilted his face up towards the sky to watch the stars burn.


End file.
